LilyPadz Reusable Nursing Pads: A Product Review

I love it when nursing mothers help each other out by sharing breastfeeding advice and recommendations. I don’t know Kathy–she’s a friend of a friend–but she raves about LilyPadz reusable nursing pads. She calls them “The Working Mother’s Friend”!

“Since I became a mother five months ago I have been having a wonderful experience breastfeeding. My son Tai and I both thoroughly enjoy it when he snuggles up in my arms to eat. Unfortunately, I discovered pretty early on that I tend to be a bit of a leaker, so I spent my entire maternity leave faithfully wearing disposable nursing pads every day, even though I found them annoying. My primary complaint with the disposable pads is that they wrinkle and bunch, which I find highly uncomfortable–not to mention unattractive beneath clothing. In fact, my husband says that it looks like I am smuggling oatmeal raisin cookies under my bra.

After returning to work, however, I decided to try a pair of LilyPadz and I am so glad I did. LilyPadz are made of silicone and one side is somewhat sticky, so they adhere directly to your breast, not to your bra. They work by preventing leaks, not by absorbing them. And because they adhere securely to your skin, you can even wear them without a bra.

My favorite thing about LilyPadz is that they are incredibly comfortable–I sometimes even forget that I have them on. And they are completely invisible under thin or fitted shirts, which makes them perfect for wearing to work. Although they cost about $20, LilyPadz are reusable and are supposed to last up to 60 days. I’ve been wearing mine for almost two months now and they are still working just fine. At the end of each day, I wash mine in warm water and dish detergent. After they air dry, they regain any tackiness they may have lost as a result of numerous removals and reapplications throughout the day.

While I would never go to work wearing anything but my LilyPadz, I do not wear them anytime I anticipate nursing in public. I am an advocate of public breastfeeding and I do it frequently. And while I’m not exactly shy, I do like to maintain a certain level of discretion. I find, however, that LilyPadz make it very difficult to nurse in public without showing off lots of nipple. Removing one of the LilyPadz is easy to do quickly and discreetly, but the reapplication of the pad is trickier. I just can’t seem to find a way to pat my nipples dry (your skin needs to be dry for the LilyPadz to stick properly) and reapply the pad without really “putting myself out there,” so to speak. So I’ll continue to use the disposable pads on the weekends when Tai and I are out and about. But I’ll never be caught going off to work without my LilyPadz.”

Thanks for the helpful review Kathy! Reviewers of LilyPadz nursing pads on Amazon.com also endorse the pads with a rating of four out of five stars. Just make sure to take the pads off for occasional stretches of time to let the nipples air dry completely (otherwise the pads might create an environment for yeast to grow). It also sounds like finding just the right mild soap/detergent and letting the pads air dry thoroughly is key. Certainly Kathy offers a great testimonial that these reusable pads can and do work!